The Legal 500 > Latin America > Mexico > TMT

For some clients, Bello, Gallardo, Bonequi y García, S.C. is ‘hands down the most recommendable law firm in Mexico for TMT’. The twelve-strong team of experts offers a ‘deep knowledge of the industry and extensive experience with all new ventures in the telecommunications sector, as well as in the treatment of regulatory obligations’. Founding partner Carlos Bello, ‘one of the most recognized experts in the country’; Hector Guzman, and Rolando Guevara co-head the team which recently advised Tele Facil on regulatory and litigation matters as part of a $500m international arbitration related to interconnection matters, and is currently assisting Airbus with all the legal and regulatory matters required to operate the first Public Safety Mobile Virtual Network Operator (S-MVNO) in Mexico. Specialised senior associate Carlos J Diaz Sobrino focuses on telecoms, media, technology, data protection, corporate law and M&A; and 2019-arrival, head of the IP practice Jonathan Rangel, is also active in the practice.

Corporate powerhouse Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, S.C.'s powerhouse practice provides ‘quick and easily-digestible advice on complex issues’, primarily undertaking high-end transactions in the TMT sector itself, or having a TMT aspect as well as all the concomitant regulatory and administrative aspects, along with data protection, disputes and representation before the regulators. The 12-strong practice is co-led by Luis Gerardo García (who specialises in TMT, antitrust and competition), and corporate/finance all-rounder, name partner Jean Michel Enríquez; other team members include Begoña Cancino (who specializes in IP, data privacy, and regulatory and administrative litigation), Iker Arriola (corporate and M&A, banking and finance, capital markets and competition), and the very active Jorge Kargl -appointed counsel in mid-2019- who specializes in TMT, competition and antitrust. Ongoing matters include advising regional e-commerce site Mercado Legal on both e-commerce and new projects and business lines.

Unusually for a full-service firm, the practice at Hogan Lovells is as strong on regulatory telecommunications matters as it is on the transactional front (where the firm's multijurisdictional footprint allows involvement in regional and international matters), while also providing advice on media, technology and data privacy issues. The team is led by Federico Hernández Arroyo, who has over 15 years' experience offering private practice TMT advisory, and can also draw on experience as a former head of regulatory affairs at the (then) Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones. Senior associate Ana Paula Rumualdo provides complementary expertise in cyberlaw, legal AI, privacy and data protection; and competition-focused associate Marianne Windirsch -who has a background working with tech start-ups- also participates in the sector. Recent matters include day-to-day regulatory advice regarding compliance with spectrum concessions and authorisations, telecoms regulatory advice, software licensing agreements, cloud and online services, and the MVNO market.

A longstanding presence in the telecoms sector Santamarina y Steta currently fields a seven-lawyer team that is particularly strong advising on transactional and regulatory TMT-related work, as well as compliance issues and administrative matters and representation. Firm chairman, corporate specialist Jorge León-Orantes, has extensive experience in telecoms, broadcasting, IT, e-commerce, data protection and privacy, and M&A. He co-leads the practice with fellow senior partner César Cruz (in Monterrey), who has particular expertise in all aspects of data privacy and protection matters. Recent matters include advising a number of digital platforms - such as MU Team and Enroll-U on the TMT, e-commerce and regulatory aspects of establishing their business and initiating operations in Mexico. Additional key practice contacts include recently appointed counsel, Paola Morales (in Mexico City), and senior associate Diego Rubén Acosta (in Monterrey); both focus on telecoms, IT, e-commerce, and data protection and privacy, along with corporate, M&A and foreign investment. (Senior associate Rodrigo Orenday has been on secondment at PayPal since June 2020).

According to a client, the practice at White & Case S.C. houses ‘the best lawyers in the sector’. Backed by the firm's international reach, the team has robust expertise in telecommunications litigation, transactional, regulatory, infrastructure, and finance matters, as well as expertise in the satellite segment. Regulatory and administrative specialist and litigator Ismael Reyes Retana has extensive telecoms experience (including a landmark Supreme Court precedent for the industry), and garners praise for his ‘ability to present clear and concrete ideas’. Demonstrating ‘great knowledge of the topics’, younger partner Antonio Cárdenas focuses on administrative regulation (both contentious and advisory), economic competition and TMT regulatory matters. Experienced mid-level associate Yuriria Galicia Arizmendi is also noted; and and ‘first-class' corporate and finance specialist Álvaro Garza-Galván, also participates in the practice.

The ‘extremely proactive’ TMT practice at DLA Piper Gallastegui y Lozano, attends to a broad swathe to the media and entertainment industry, including IT, broadcasting, advertising, entertainment, censorship, and internet and online services. The practice, praised by clients for its  ‘deep knowledge' of the industry, 'in both legal and regulatory affairs', is led by corporate practitioner Eduardo Gallastegui who has 'participated in dozens of M&A transactions in the sector over the years' and is a well-known figure in the sector. Recent matters include due diligence in the TMT sector, business plan design and implementation, spectrum allocation, M&A, financings and licensing. Key support comes from transactional partner Jorge Benejam, who also 'knows the TMT sector deeply', focuses primarily on regulated industry matters including antitrust, life sciences, telecoms, banking and foreign trade.

González Calvillo, SC houses a very experienced TMT practice, which boasts some major telecommunications clients -including Telefónica- which it is currently advising in relation to the renewal of certain spectrum concessions titles. The team is particularly strong advising on contentious administrative telecoms matters, but also handles regulatory, antitrust, corporate, transactional, and tax matters, as well as public procurement and PPPs, concessions and authorizations relevant to telecommunication services, and data and consumer protection. Lead partner Luis Mancera focuses on telecoms, constitutional, administrative and regulatory practice, and specializes in administrative litigation, constitutional relief proceedings, telecoms disputes and contentious constitutional procedures. He co-leads the team with ‘exceptional’ counsel Juan Carlos Peraza -formerly a regulatory head at Televisa- who also focuses on administrative and constitutional litigation, along with telecoms regulations. Key support comes from associate Rafael Fuentes.

The three-strong practice at Holland & Knight, valued by clients for its ‘personalised attention and punctual support during the process’, covers the full breadth of the TMT sector - including telecommunications, satellites, media, wireless services, quadruple play, e-commerce and cloud services and communications; and advises on transactions, disputes, and antitrust and regulatory matters. The department is led by Luis Rubio (who includes telecoms as part of a broader practice involving corporate / M&A and international trade); and corporate specialist Octavio Lecona who is closely focused on the telecom, media and tech sectors. Recent mandates saw the pair advise Telefónica on a wireless infrastructure deal with AT&T in Mexico. However, former senior counsel Blanca Luévano, who was active in competition  matters before the IFT and COFECE, moved in house at AT&T in August 2020.

Experienced telecoms of counsel Bertha Alicia Ordaz-Avilés handles new technologies, digital economy matters, telecoms (particularly satellite regulation), antitrust and competition (including compliance), M&A, and anti-corruption compliance. She leads the team at international firm Jones Day 's Mexico office, which primarily focuses on infrastructure and associated matters; recent mandates, for example, include e-commerce platforms, service and master service procurement, along with legal and regulatory reviews, contracting matters, data protection, economic competition, and consumer protection issues.

A team of seven lawyer comprise the TMT practice at Nader, Hayaux y Goebel, SC, which is best known for its robust experience covering regulatory matters and corporate and finance transactions, across the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors, including satellite and fintech. During 2019, the practice led by experienced senior partner Michell Nader and Julián Garza (who handles corporate, financial and regulatory matters in the sector), continued to advise Satélites Mexicanos Eutelsat on capitalisation, licensing and regulatory matters, filings before the telecom authorities, and in relation to data privacy. Gunter Schwandt also has experience of telecom and government procurement matters as part of his broader corporate / finance practice.

Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C.'s 10-strong practice is divided into a telecoms team, led by Daniel Del Rio and Ricardo Lan, and a specialized data privacy and protection practice, led by Adolfo Athié and Teresa Espinosa. The team handles a mix of regulatory work, due diligence, concessions, litigation before relevant regulators, and the development and implementation of data management policies. Del Rio and of counsel Lan are both well-known corporate practitioners with accrued experience in the telecoms sector (Lan has long been active in associated transportation matters). With a background in IP, Athié focuses on consulting and administrative litigation, with a primary focus on data protection and privacy; while up-and-coming associate, Espinosa (a 'KnowledgeNet' Chair of the International Association for Privacy Professionals - IAPP) is increasingly closely-focused on data protection mattes, and is a certified information privacy technologist. Recent telecom-side matters include regulatory advisory, due diligence, frequency concessions and satellite matters, as well as representation before relevant authorities. On the data side, the team has been assisting clients convert policy into implemented practice, and undertaking representation before the Data Protection Authority, among other matters.

Full service major, Galicia Abogados S.C. maintains a six-strong telecoms team as part of its wider regulatory practice group of 16 lawyers which, on the telecom-side, handles day-to-day matters, transactional operations and  administrative disputes; and on the technology side, undertakes regulatory, competition, privacy, tax and intellectual property matters, as well as fintech and transactions. Carlos Chávez is a regulated markets specialist with a strong specialisation in competition matters and public sector contracting; he leads on all the firm's telecom and media matters. Key support comes from associates Irma Ross, who leads the firm's IP practice and has experience across IT, data privacy and administrative litigation; and Maite Celorio, who focuses on telecom, regulated markets and competition, as well as having a sub-specialization in the telecoms and IT sector. Administrative litigator Gilda Velazquez Mason also handles telecoms, privacy and data protection matters as required.